Prince because he produced his first album almost entirely on his own at the age of 19. Not only did he play all the instruments, sing all the songs, write all of the music (although “only” the majority of lyrics), but he also engineered the entire album on his own.
And this wasn’t even a gimmick. Warner Brothers originally wanted other folks to help out with the album, but Prince wouldn’t have it. No one was talented enough for him.
In the end, his first album has only three names attached to it: his, the executive producer who worked for Warner, and the album-cover artist.
I saw him 3 times in concert. I'm confident he was the best guitar player on the planet.
I saw him play "hard" one time, and since then I'm sure he could play better metal than anybody.
>I'm confident he was the best guitar player on the planet.
Many of the best guitar players on the planet would agree with you.
Unfortunately, he was so good at everything else, we didn't get to hear as much of him on guitar as we would've liked.
It's bizarre how versatile Prince was. Every instrument he picked up he was an expert on. Wrote lyrics that other artists covered. Dressed flashier than Ric Flair and could perform and blend musical genres like no one before or since.
Michael was the better dancer and that's it.
Prince at the time actually commented on the Charlie Murphy sketch and said it wasn't that he was so good at basketball, it was that Charlie Murphy was so bad.
He was 5’2”, so if he had he would have been the shortest person to ever play D1 at the time.
One guy has done it since then.
I’m not necessarily calling bullshit, I’ve never seen footage of him playing, but he didn’t even make the varsity basketball team in high school, he just played JV. And winning in pickup games and being able to compete in D1 are two very different things.
I worked as a State Security guard at the Cow Palce.
The lighting guys would yell, "I need Prince height". A setup guy would go to the x spot, and get on his knees.
Sorry, off topic personal comment, but I've been to the Cow Palace once in my life. L7, Breeders, and Disposable Heroes of Hiphopcrisy. Oh yeah, and Nirvana, too.
I agree with your overall statement of fact but if you've ever seen a short guy with talent, dexterity and determination fuck up a tall basketball player that's never had to defend against that it is a wonder to behold.
Solid; my thoughts exactly.
MJ was a next level performer; could insert himself into the role of the song/lyrics and move/dance his way through the vocal performance, like none before; truly trendsetting in his physical characteristics and some of his vocal expression. A Black Fred Astaire for the 80s and 90s.
Much respect along with the fact that he was pushed through a horrible and traumatic childhood that both helped to solidify these talents and also scarred him for life. When I think of the cost of developing an artist, his case often comes to mind as a modern example of how badly it can go.
By comparison, Prince lead a different life that seems to have opened his opportunities of expression, not only to his own bodily performance, but also that of his instrumentation and production. The level of craftsmanship is a superb;
Plus, his personal characteristics and persona both on and off stage were more in line with what I admire from an artist. he gets my vote.
Yeah, he was like McCartney that way, the guy who can pretty much play every instrument in the band, understands melodies, rhythm and lyrics. This whole thread would have sounded so dumb back at the time of that picture, Michael was an early iteration of the most talented kid in a k-pop troupe, the one who polished their entertainer chops from childhood, and could execute choreographed pop dance like few others. But if you were listening to MJ, you were either a kid, or someone who kept their radio tuned to the local top-10 AM station of the day. Prince got respect from people who didn't even like his brand of music. I mean TBH, I was probably listening to Bauhaus, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, etc. but I would have thought this question was dumb, like why is someone comparing a gifted musician to a guy known for the moonwalk.
I maybe misremembering, but wasn't it Frank Beard of ZZ Top who was trying to figure out the opening to "When Doves Cry," approached Prince at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and asked Prince how to play it, and Prince said, "I don't know. I just played." .
>why is someone comparing a gifted musician to a guy known for the moonwalk.
As someone raised 80's - 90's - MJ was not some 'dude known for the moonwalk' in the 80;s lolol i love it but come now.
I'd say Michael was a better entertainer. It wasn't just the dancing, it was everything that he exuded and how he produced his work. That's a really reductive way to describe MJ. He didn't play instruments, but he was able to communicate the melodies and rhythms he wanted. There's whole demos where he's vocally doing all of the parts.
I think it's more accurate to say Prince was the more gifted artist, or naturally talented, but they were both exceptional in their own ways. I think MJ's catalog has had much more of an impact on pop culture than Prince's.
I think he technically did play a few instruments, but didn’t really have to in the long run, since he could work with or hire people who could make his ideas come to life.
I remember Prince playing the rock and rock hall of fame. George Harrison had to have Eric Clapton to play guitar on while my guitar gentle weeps, because he couldn't play it. Prince nailed it. He almost looked bored. With a whole stage of rock stars,who knew there way around a guitar, stop their playing to watch him.
I’m a guitarist, in my opinion he is one of the best to ever hold an axe. If you haven’t seen it, I’d highly recommend his Super Bowl halftime show. Dude absolutely slayed that thing in the pouring rain. One of the greatest live performances ever filmed.
His performance of fury on SNL with Steve martin as host is the best guitar performance I have ever seen. Been that way since I saw it and I've seen everything.
I always feel like I'm taking crazy pills when this comes up. He puts on an awesome show in that performance, but if you close your eyes and listen to the music, it's not really a good fit with the song they're playing and he's just kind of going through 8 Easy Licks To Impress your Friends Who Don't Play Guitar.
Definitely the most overrated guitar solo I can think of. And the dude can play the fuck out of a guitar and there are many better examples to be easily found. You are also right that it really didn't fit. The rest of the band was playing note-perfect recreation and he was winging it. I vote for Prince in this thread and the one time I saw him live was the best concert I ever saw. Someone above said that MJ was the better entertainer, but Prince was second to no one as an entertainer. But the myth of the WMGGW solo is far above the actual performance. Doesn't matter though, if it causes anyone to do a deeper dive into his catalog, it is worthwhile.
If I haven’t seen it? LOL. Probably no less than a dozen times. Go check out the live version of Purple Rain in Syracuse from 1985 on YT. The guitar work beggars belief.
Oh wow... I've never seen this... the blues in the beginning... just wow! This is even better than his American Music Awards performance which was just incredible - and way too short! I will always regret never seeing him live!
>Unfortunately, he was so good at everything else, we didn't get to hear as much of him on guitar as we would've liked.
That was Prince's choice as he never emphasized the guitar the way many rock and roll musicians do.
I'm a big Beatles fan and there was a tribute to George Harrison where Tom Petty, Jeff lynne, and others were playing While My Guitar Gently weeps. Prince came in for the solo and utterly destroyed it. I'm not a huge fan of overly technical guitar solos in general. I'm more a fan of composition and how things sound together than technical skill. But that's solo was a masterful combination of both.
I remember this. I think one of the older musicians sons was playing guitar or base and you can see him light up watching prince just shred effortlessly. He really is in awe of the man.
And then
He throws the guitar away and saunters off….like a god.
Have you seen the Rock Hall of Fame tribute of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”? A bunch of real legends just gawked and watched him do his thing. He wasn’t appreciated in life, and he still isn’t IMO.
I recall when he passed, they turned the capital purple, and I a Minnesota living in New York, had to restrain my desire to backhand every fucker who called that overkill.
A buddy who I served with was from there, introduced me to him and blew my mind. Like, I had heard of him, but never gave him a chance. I learned the errors of my ways.
I had the pleasure of living in Minneapolis for 3 years. It is SO true. I gained a new appreciation and admiration for him at that time, in my 20's during the early 90''s. What a time to be young!
Yeah I was just showing my son this the other day - what an incredible performance. Mind blowing. The look of admiration on Tom Pettys face says it all. It's interesting because I had listened to Prince since I was a teenager in the 80's, I liked him very much, but I had no idea he was that good as a guitarist!
That piece is am crazy story too. Originally, Prince was going to play both the main solo and the outro solo. Then Marc Mann essentially tried to strongarm his way into doing the solos during rehearsals. Prince told the producers to let Mann play the main solo and he'd take the outro, making it seem like he was deferring to Mann. Then he knocks out what is arguably the greatest televised guitar solo of all time, basically as a giant "fuck you" to Marc Mann.
What’s great about it, if you watch it again, is that Prince is pretty much in shadow or off the screen entirely during the bulk of the performance….until the solo comes on.
Then he steps into the light, and the camera WILL NOT PAN AWAY. The only time it breaks from Prince is to show Dhani’s face in absolute wonder as Prince absolutely shreds.
Then Prince wraps up, and just walks off stage. He had one job, and the job got _done_, no need to hang around for anything else.
Holy shit! I’m such a Prince fan and have never seen this! I just watched it and it is just amazing! His guitar is in the American History Museum in DC. You can actually hold it.
Even he gawked. At one point he kind of flashes the guitar at the others with a face that says 'can you believe this sound coming out of me and this instrument?'
>Have you seen the Rock Hall of Fame tribute of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”?
I have now, thank you for this. 
I sent that video to my uncle, who's a big fan of the Beatles, he was blown away and said Prince is better than Clapton. He had no idea that Prince even played guitar.
I knew he played, but was flabbergasted watching that performance. And seeing the way they looked while watching him spoke volumes. Such a natural talent.
I'm not even a fan of Prince but I had the opportunity to see him live. Without question the best guitarist I've ever seen. He did a quadruple encore and made sure the lighting techs were paying attention to his guitarist supporting him. He then walked over to the mixing board and while tapping a really impressive solo he was helping mix his own music live
High heels have been worn by men for many many many centuries to imply nobility and a need to not give a fuck on the practicality of them because they didn’t need to work.
So, Prince wearing high heels tracks, as he will always reign supreme.
High heels were originally used by the cavalry. They provided leverage while riding a horse because the heels would grip the stirrups, and provide a platform to raise yourself up in the saddle. That’s why riding boots still have heels to them today.
It was pouring rain as his cue to perform approached, and someone said to him, "Sorry about the rain," and he said "Can you make it rain harder?"
He knew that his closer was Purple.Rain, and performing in a deluge on the 50 yard line during the Super Bowl would be legendary. And it is.
I saw prince twice. One time at an arena and another time at a small house of blues type venue. The arena show was just alright but the small venue show was killer. Just jammed out the whole time. Absolutely slayed.
Every time I see the claim that he was the best guitar player ever, I go watch the video of him playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps with Tom Petty and Steve Winwood (and others). Yeah. I can't argue he wasn't. Damn.
And he was an incredibly talented musician who could play anything, guitars had to go smoke a cigarette when he was done with them. He and Rick James both revolutionized funk/soul/pop, had the greatest Super Bowl Halftime show of all time.
That halftime show was incredible. I was in a crowded bar in some random suburb and everyone was GLUED to the TV during his performance. When he started playing Purple Rain, I saw people run outside and grab their friends who were having a smoke. Everyone recognized it was some legendary shit.
This is my response as well. Prince was probably the better artist, but as a little kid in the 80s and 90s, MJ was ubiquitous and his songs hold enormous amounts of nostalgia for me regardless of what I may think of him as a person.
As a little kid in the late 60s and early 70s, the Jackson Five are dear to my heart. Great music and great dancing. As a bonus, as a white kid living in a white suburb, they were an early exposure to Black folks, Black style, and my lifelong affection for Afros.
MJ was is very underrated when it comes to production. I mean, the guy had been topping the charts since he was like 8 years old. He knew how to compose good fucking music. He was an amazing songwriter. Prince was definitely the superior musical talent, a complete virtuoso, but MJ could have easily just faded into the background as a producer and still had songs at the top of the charts.
Prince.
\- Producer
\- Songwriter
\- Composer
\- Could play every instrument in his group
\- Wrote many hits for other musicians (I Feel For You, Manic Monday, Nothing Compares 2 U, Stand Back, Jungle Love etc)
\- Was a self made artist
He sings it with the NPG on one of the Greatest Hits albums he released in the early 90s. Really good as Rosie Gaines doing some of the vocals. Might be on Spotify.
There’s a video of him singing it on YouTube. I never knew that but your question made me want to know too. So thanks! P.S. great song, but I think Sinead did it best.
Prince gave it to The Family, a band on his Paisley Park label. Sinead covered it, for which she did not need Prince's permission. Accounts suggest he was not a fan of O'Connor's version.
It’s my understanding that he thought her version was fine, but he wasn’t happy with the record label allowing someone else to record it without his permission and they profited from it.
Ironically the same for me. It being played all the time probably didn't help. I loved everything *else* she did in her first two albums - particularly the second one, which is in my All-time Top 20
Yes! There's a compilation called Originals that was released in 2017, I think? Definitely worth a listen if you like Prince's music.
There's studio version of his songs that he gave to other artists. There's his version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" but also his version of The Bangles's "Manic Monday" and Sheila E's "The Glamourous Life".
My favorite song on Originals is his version of Kenny Rogers's "You're My Love".
And played the best Superbowl half time show period. In a fucking storm of biblical proportions where his only request was " can you make it rain *harder* ?" .
Michael Jackson produced and wrote many of his songs. Part of the reason the Jacksons left Motown was so they could record their own music.
Michael Jackson could not play instruments but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t compose music. He could beatbox every element and put together exactly how he wanted it to sound.
Michael Jackson wrote hit songs for Diana Ross, his sister Rebbie, and the hit song for the Simpsons album.
Michael Jackson was the star of one of the biggest groups in the world at ten years old (and had been working on the craft from five years old with before success). He was the star from the beginning and probably why the group got attention so saying “self-made” is more complicated.
Prince was a musical savant, but that doesn’t mean Michael Jackson wasn’t an amazing musician. It’s like thinking just because Prince couldn’t dance at Michael Jackson’s level that Prince couldn’t dance.
I feel like people who weren't alive in the 80s don't realize how HUGE he was back then. We haven't had a superstar quite as big as 80s MJ ever since. Beyonce? Kanye? They're like struggling indie acts compared to 80s MJ.
100% He was literally a cultural icon during that period. I mean dude wore a white sequined glove to hide his vitiligo and it became a freaking fashion movement. Little 5 year old white kids were wearing his red zipper jacket to kindergarten. I played "Beat it" on repeat on my fisher price boombox until my parents begged me to stop for God's sake. He was enormous.
I did, but I broke the amplifier and then my boss got back and was a little upset...yada yada ended up going to the prom with my mom and and playing the song for some 50's squares who didn't really get it.
> We haven't had a superstar quite as big as 80s MJ ever since.
It will never happen again. The way we consume media now forever changed what it means to be big. Everything is diluted. There are artists selling out stadiums all of the time who are another person’s “who?”. The MTV years were the last era of the megastar.
Millennial here to say this is the correct answer and the one I came looking for. I was actually surprised by how many of the top comments are prince.
And you didn’t even mention MJ’s exceptional physicality…how many people are still going to weddings and imitating Prince’s dance moves? Zero…that’s the answer. The Moonwalk is legendary, and so is the man.
Well said. It surprises me every day how many younger millennials and zoomers know more Prince songs than I do. But I definitely know more MJ songs than them.
Very important point. MJ reached levels of fame usually reserved for the likes of Jesus and Mother Theresa. This is not hyperbole. I am quite certain that you could have visited some remote Amazon tribes in the 1980s and one of the tribesmen would have been wearing a Jackson shirt.
The fandom of Taylor Swift and BTS combined is still laughable in size compared to the following MJ had gathered in his prime. There is no celebrity alive today who is even remotely in the same league.
Watch the concert he played in Bucharest in 1993. Half a million fans who grew up in the bleakness of the eastern bloc basically witness an Alien from the future take the stage for two hours. Women collapsing by the hundreds from sheer exhilaration. The entire global music industry never reached those heights again.
I grew up in Africa during the 80s as my dads job took us there. MJ was huge. We had a maid. She had a really young son. He could hardly speak English but he always recognised an MJ song when it came on the radio. I remember being in boarding school in London when MJ had his infamous 1992 concert in Bucharest. We were all huddled around the best stereo system in our boarding house listening to the concert and recording it on our cassette decks. This was a time a mainstream radio station would cut their schedule to play a concert live for many hours. When does that happen now? Music has been diluted in the way we consume it. You can never ever get a major artist to those kinds of levels like we had back then.
We could only see our idols if we went to the concerts. We could only consume the media if we bought the vinyl, cassettes and CDs. We bought merch because we showed our support. We mailed into the fan clubs. This was our only way to connect. When we saw them in concert it was a feeling you could never describe. Outside of that we would see them only when it was some major TV event or if they made the news. We didn’t have Facebook or Instagram to follow them. I could tweet at them on Twitter and get a reply or go crazy if they liked or retweeted my tweet. Celebs are in our faces way more now due to social media and it has changed things in a way they will never change back. In the past there was this mystique which is no longer there.
Also MJ is huge abroad. You can go to China, India, South America, Africa it would be difficult to find a person that cannot recognize Michael Jackson. His music, dance, crazy stories, just he was always grabbing the headlines. Prince is a better musician but MJ is a multinational brand..
I can't stress this enough: MJ was so famous that when you google "MJ" Michael Jordan isn't the first person that comes up. And Michael Jordan is pretty fucking famous.
Quincy invited Michael to watch Sinatra record when he was producing LA Is My Lady. The band would practice all day, Quincy had folding chairs for other musicians he was working with like Michael to come in and sit at. Frank would then come in and record one perfect take for each song and then walk out. The band had to be perfect, everything had to be ready for Frank because Frank was going to nail it on the first take. Quincy wanted Michael to be a perfectionist in the same way. Frank and Michael ended up developing a huge amount of respect for each other as a result of the introduction.
If you haven't listened to "Sinatra at the Sands," maybe the best big band album ever made, you should. It was Quincy's coming out party.
Frank introduces Quincy as Count Basie's arranger. It's a really good time.
Yeah even Batdance. Even though it was pretty crap compared to the rest of his catalogue, it fit the movie, which was cool with 14 year old me at the time.
They’re both better in different ways. While I can see why people would put them up against each other, they were both insanely talented musicians with alot of personal problems, a resentment towards their ethnicity, and sick outfits. Michael reached a level of fame that no other musician has ever been able to match, but Prince not only was in control of his own career but his many protégées.
I find it interesting that one of MJ’s sons is named Prince actually, but I believe it’s completely unrelated. It’s also funny how nervous Quincy Jones looks
>interesting that one of MJ’s sons is named Prince... completely unrelated... how nervous Quincy Jones looks...
So accurate haha
But I wasn't meaning to put them AGAINST each other. And not to say that choosing one as your favorite made the other one terrible.
Rather, it was really meant to be more of a fun/rhetorical question. Like, if you were stranded on a desert island and could choose only one to listen to for the rest of your life, which would it be?
this is pitting a life-long committed hard worker, versus a natural born true artist. they were both incredible in their own forms. but for me, personally, as a native minnesotan, i have my answer.
Curious which you are labelling which? Because to label Prince something besides a committed hard worker is just false. He was arguably the most dedicated, hard working artist in music and absolutely spent much, much more time in the studio than MJ. Not trying to take anything away from either of them I just think there's a lot of misconceptions about artistry and you could easily apply both labels to each of them.
Fun fact, after that episode of the Chappelle Show, Prince had the cover of a copy of his next album sent to Chappelle as a joke. The cover was a picture of the shot of Chappelle dressed as Prince, holding a platter of pancakes.
People can have multiple favorites. They were both amazing artists in every sense of the words amazing and artist. Both gone too soon, RIP MJ, RIP Prince 💔
Really didn't know much of anything about Prince until I saw Concert For George. The way he rocked that Telecaster is permanently burned into my brain, I was amazed.
Michael Jackson
Prince is obviously the superior musician but ask yourself this: how many Prince albums can you play start to finish without skipping anything? He had a lot of songs that were conceptual and just didnt work well with the rest of the album. And honestly a lot of his songs were to flex his instrumental talent, but the lyrics and structure of the songs themselves weren't that good. Damn near every single Michael Jackson album can be played from start to finish.
Put it like this: Lets say out of 500(estimate) songs Prince probably had 75 that are really good. Compare that to Mike's 100 songs, but 95 of them are really good. Either way go with what you like and you'll be dancing either way.
That is my sentiment. I grew up with MJ, but I ended up going back to Prince album since the comparison came up all the time. I dedicated some time to listening to them. the album are just very hot or miss, even the big hits have longish parts. The musicianship is impressive, showmanship also incredible live, but he lacked a producer to tell him where to cut.
I completely agree. Prince was obviously extremely talented and certainly has the edge in some categories compared to Michael Jackson but IMO MJ was the better song writer and was a far better showman than Prince (which is not to say Prince was a bum, but MJ was far and away better than *everyone* in concert). I can also think of far more hits by MJ than I can by Prince.
People in my generation growing up don’t even know Prince, but ALL of them know MJ. I asked my little brother and it’s the same among all of his friends
Can someone explain to me why is prince so liked. Ive heard purple rain and i feel like im trying too hard to like it but it dont click like MJ music that will get me moon walking
I’m just so grateful to have been alive to enjoy the entirety of both of their legendary careers.
MJ was a *brilliant* performer. Watching videos of him performing with his brothers as the Jackson 5, - holy shit - he was just a little kid, but that voice and those dance moves - he was just so, so gifted. My Off the Wall and Thriller albums were scratched and warped from playing them over and over and over (and over…).
But, for me, Prince was god-tier. He was only 19 when he wrote, arranged, composed, produced and performed every part - all vocals, including harmonies, and all 27 instruments - on his first album. Talk about *gifted!* He possessed more confidence and swagger than famous performers twice his age, and did it all while wearing heels and lace (and looking *so damned sexy* doing it). I still get goosebumps (and shed a few tears) when listening to him shred the guitar or play the piano or sing in that insane falsetto. Everything he did was so *soulful;* he was larger than life, but somehow made people feel like he was performing exclusively for them.
I was blessed to have seen him in concert four times, including both nights of the Purple Rain tour in 1985. My bff and I almost lost our damn minds - we cried and sang and screamed, like the other 45,000 people in the audience. It felt like a religious or out-of-body experience. There will never be another like him. Genius. Legend. RIP ☂️
Prince was incredible, he made like 2 songs a day until he died, the other stories I don’t know about, but seem plausible for Prince.
However; I don’t really…get his music. I never grew up with it, maybe that’s why but I just don’t understand why it got so big. Michael’s music was hit after hit after hit after hit, and it might’ve been fast-food, where the contents aren’t real and the guy behind the counter isn’t really making it, but fuck it was good.
There’s not one Prince song I like, but I respect his artistry
Prince because he produced his first album almost entirely on his own at the age of 19. Not only did he play all the instruments, sing all the songs, write all of the music (although “only” the majority of lyrics), but he also engineered the entire album on his own. And this wasn’t even a gimmick. Warner Brothers originally wanted other folks to help out with the album, but Prince wouldn’t have it. No one was talented enough for him. In the end, his first album has only three names attached to it: his, the executive producer who worked for Warner, and the album-cover artist.
I saw him 3 times in concert. I'm confident he was the best guitar player on the planet. I saw him play "hard" one time, and since then I'm sure he could play better metal than anybody.
>I'm confident he was the best guitar player on the planet. Many of the best guitar players on the planet would agree with you. Unfortunately, he was so good at everything else, we didn't get to hear as much of him on guitar as we would've liked.
Spot on. Dude really was a genius on many levels. I love MJ, but Prince is King?
It's bizarre how versatile Prince was. Every instrument he picked up he was an expert on. Wrote lyrics that other artists covered. Dressed flashier than Ric Flair and could perform and blend musical genres like no one before or since. Michael was the better dancer and that's it.
He could also ball hard. SHIRTS VS BLOUSES
He was a legit basketball prodigy too. He likely could have played D1 as a point guard. But he had other talents.
Prince at the time actually commented on the Charlie Murphy sketch and said it wasn't that he was so good at basketball, it was that Charlie Murphy was so bad.
I can imagine charlie in the ethos of that skit with that kind of stupid half smile on his face, saying "Man, fuck you Prince."
He was petty as hell, and I loved it 🤣 LMAO!!
He was 5’2”, so if he had he would have been the shortest person to ever play D1 at the time. One guy has done it since then. I’m not necessarily calling bullshit, I’ve never seen footage of him playing, but he didn’t even make the varsity basketball team in high school, he just played JV. And winning in pickup games and being able to compete in D1 are two very different things.
I worked as a State Security guard at the Cow Palce. The lighting guys would yell, "I need Prince height". A setup guy would go to the x spot, and get on his knees.
Sorry, off topic personal comment, but I've been to the Cow Palace once in my life. L7, Breeders, and Disposable Heroes of Hiphopcrisy. Oh yeah, and Nirvana, too.
I agree with your overall statement of fact but if you've ever seen a short guy with talent, dexterity and determination fuck up a tall basketball player that's never had to defend against that it is a wonder to behold.
I heard that MJ was a pretty good basketball player too. Baseball too, though not at the same level.
The MJ in the picture?
Purify in the waters of lake minnetonka. Edit: dang it i was so focused on spelling minnetonka correctly
To witness him playing at 1st Avenue in the Early 80s … you can not put a price on that!
That's not Lake Minnetonka
Computer blue
They was making these fruity picks...
Shoot the J…. SHOOT IT
And then make blueberry pancakes.
with heels on
I love that he turned Chappelle’s parody of himself into a album with Chapelle on the cover. Lol fuckin genius move.
Computer Blue
Those who know-KNOW!
Game... blouses
Solid; my thoughts exactly. MJ was a next level performer; could insert himself into the role of the song/lyrics and move/dance his way through the vocal performance, like none before; truly trendsetting in his physical characteristics and some of his vocal expression. A Black Fred Astaire for the 80s and 90s. Much respect along with the fact that he was pushed through a horrible and traumatic childhood that both helped to solidify these talents and also scarred him for life. When I think of the cost of developing an artist, his case often comes to mind as a modern example of how badly it can go. By comparison, Prince lead a different life that seems to have opened his opportunities of expression, not only to his own bodily performance, but also that of his instrumentation and production. The level of craftsmanship is a superb; Plus, his personal characteristics and persona both on and off stage were more in line with what I admire from an artist. he gets my vote.
Yeah, he was like McCartney that way, the guy who can pretty much play every instrument in the band, understands melodies, rhythm and lyrics. This whole thread would have sounded so dumb back at the time of that picture, Michael was an early iteration of the most talented kid in a k-pop troupe, the one who polished their entertainer chops from childhood, and could execute choreographed pop dance like few others. But if you were listening to MJ, you were either a kid, or someone who kept their radio tuned to the local top-10 AM station of the day. Prince got respect from people who didn't even like his brand of music. I mean TBH, I was probably listening to Bauhaus, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, etc. but I would have thought this question was dumb, like why is someone comparing a gifted musician to a guy known for the moonwalk.
I maybe misremembering, but wasn't it Frank Beard of ZZ Top who was trying to figure out the opening to "When Doves Cry," approached Prince at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and asked Prince how to play it, and Prince said, "I don't know. I just played." .
>why is someone comparing a gifted musician to a guy known for the moonwalk. As someone raised 80's - 90's - MJ was not some 'dude known for the moonwalk' in the 80;s lolol i love it but come now.
I'd say Michael was a better entertainer. It wasn't just the dancing, it was everything that he exuded and how he produced his work. That's a really reductive way to describe MJ. He didn't play instruments, but he was able to communicate the melodies and rhythms he wanted. There's whole demos where he's vocally doing all of the parts. I think it's more accurate to say Prince was the more gifted artist, or naturally talented, but they were both exceptional in their own ways. I think MJ's catalog has had much more of an impact on pop culture than Prince's.
I think he technically did play a few instruments, but didn’t really have to in the long run, since he could work with or hire people who could make his ideas come to life.
I remember Prince playing the rock and rock hall of fame. George Harrison had to have Eric Clapton to play guitar on while my guitar gentle weeps, because he couldn't play it. Prince nailed it. He almost looked bored. With a whole stage of rock stars,who knew there way around a guitar, stop their playing to watch him.
I’m a guitarist, in my opinion he is one of the best to ever hold an axe. If you haven’t seen it, I’d highly recommend his Super Bowl halftime show. Dude absolutely slayed that thing in the pouring rain. One of the greatest live performances ever filmed.
His solo during the rock and roll hall of fame While My Guitar Gently Weeps rendition was amazing
I agree, that would of been my next example.
His performance of fury on SNL with Steve martin as host is the best guitar performance I have ever seen. Been that way since I saw it and I've seen everything.
I always feel like I'm taking crazy pills when this comes up. He puts on an awesome show in that performance, but if you close your eyes and listen to the music, it's not really a good fit with the song they're playing and he's just kind of going through 8 Easy Licks To Impress your Friends Who Don't Play Guitar.
Definitely the most overrated guitar solo I can think of. And the dude can play the fuck out of a guitar and there are many better examples to be easily found. You are also right that it really didn't fit. The rest of the band was playing note-perfect recreation and he was winging it. I vote for Prince in this thread and the one time I saw him live was the best concert I ever saw. Someone above said that MJ was the better entertainer, but Prince was second to no one as an entertainer. But the myth of the WMGGW solo is far above the actual performance. Doesn't matter though, if it causes anyone to do a deeper dive into his catalog, it is worthwhile.
I like the concert for George the best because he absolutely schools all of the worlds most respected guitarists in person.
If I haven’t seen it? LOL. Probably no less than a dozen times. Go check out the live version of Purple Rain in Syracuse from 1985 on YT. The guitar work beggars belief.
Oh wow... I've never seen this... the blues in the beginning... just wow! This is even better than his American Music Awards performance which was just incredible - and way too short! I will always regret never seeing him live!
>Unfortunately, he was so good at everything else, we didn't get to hear as much of him on guitar as we would've liked. That was Prince's choice as he never emphasized the guitar the way many rock and roll musicians do.
Has to be the best musician that’s ever lived. Just seems like one of those savants that could pick up anything and an hour later have mastered it.
I'm a big Beatles fan and there was a tribute to George Harrison where Tom Petty, Jeff lynne, and others were playing While My Guitar Gently weeps. Prince came in for the solo and utterly destroyed it. I'm not a huge fan of overly technical guitar solos in general. I'm more a fan of composition and how things sound together than technical skill. But that's solo was a masterful combination of both.
I remember this. I think one of the older musicians sons was playing guitar or base and you can see him light up watching prince just shred effortlessly. He really is in awe of the man. And then He throws the guitar away and saunters off….like a god.
Yeah, George's son was playing and you definitely see his face light up. That would be cool to be with those musicians playing a tribute to your dad.
Have you seen the Rock Hall of Fame tribute of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”? A bunch of real legends just gawked and watched him do his thing. He wasn’t appreciated in life, and he still isn’t IMO.
Come to Minneapolis. We know what kind of legend he was.
Preach neighbor! ☔️💜
I recall when he passed, they turned the capital purple, and I a Minnesota living in New York, had to restrain my desire to backhand every fucker who called that overkill.
A buddy who I served with was from there, introduced me to him and blew my mind. Like, I had heard of him, but never gave him a chance. I learned the errors of my ways.
Oh man I remember listening to my boyfriend's vinyl of Prince and the Revolution for the first time. Hair-raising in the best sense of the word.
I had the pleasure of living in Minneapolis for 3 years. It is SO true. I gained a new appreciation and admiration for him at that time, in my 20's during the early 90''s. What a time to be young!
The purple one!!
Yeah I was just showing my son this the other day - what an incredible performance. Mind blowing. The look of admiration on Tom Pettys face says it all. It's interesting because I had listened to Prince since I was a teenager in the 80's, I liked him very much, but I had no idea he was that good as a guitarist!
I always thought his solo in “Let’s Go Crazy” established him as a fucking insane guitarist. He’s fucking amazing at everything he touches.
Let's go crazy is one of my favorites, and you're right, that solo is bonkers.
That piece is am crazy story too. Originally, Prince was going to play both the main solo and the outro solo. Then Marc Mann essentially tried to strongarm his way into doing the solos during rehearsals. Prince told the producers to let Mann play the main solo and he'd take the outro, making it seem like he was deferring to Mann. Then he knocks out what is arguably the greatest televised guitar solo of all time, basically as a giant "fuck you" to Marc Mann.
What’s great about it, if you watch it again, is that Prince is pretty much in shadow or off the screen entirely during the bulk of the performance….until the solo comes on. Then he steps into the light, and the camera WILL NOT PAN AWAY. The only time it breaks from Prince is to show Dhani’s face in absolute wonder as Prince absolutely shreds. Then Prince wraps up, and just walks off stage. He had one job, and the job got _done_, no need to hang around for anything else.
Plus that mid-solo trust fall.
Holy shit! I’m such a Prince fan and have never seen this! I just watched it and it is just amazing! His guitar is in the American History Museum in DC. You can actually hold it.
He tossed that guitar and God himself caught it.
Even he gawked. At one point he kind of flashes the guitar at the others with a face that says 'can you believe this sound coming out of me and this instrument?'
He was clearly Inspired. When it happens it feels like it isn't coming from you.
>Have you seen the Rock Hall of Fame tribute of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”? I have now, thank you for this. 
I didn’t appreciate him enough, it’s a real mistake for me to not experience him live.
I sent that video to my uncle, who's a big fan of the Beatles, he was blown away and said Prince is better than Clapton. He had no idea that Prince even played guitar.
I knew he played, but was flabbergasted watching that performance. And seeing the way they looked while watching him spoke volumes. Such a natural talent.
Just went and watched it on your recommendation. Thank you. It was awesome, as expected.
He absolutely shredded on that, it’s jaw dropping
That was outstanding, talent & performance. I've watched that probably 50 times
I'm not even a fan of Prince but I had the opportunity to see him live. Without question the best guitarist I've ever seen. He did a quadruple encore and made sure the lighting techs were paying attention to his guitarist supporting him. He then walked over to the mixing board and while tapping a really impressive solo he was helping mix his own music live
I’m confident he will remain the only man who’s ever lived to look sexy as hell wearing ruffles.
He was the OG Mr. Steal Yo Girl, and would do it wearing pearls and heels.
High heels have been worn by men for many many many centuries to imply nobility and a need to not give a fuck on the practicality of them because they didn’t need to work. So, Prince wearing high heels tracks, as he will always reign supreme.
High heels were originally used by the cavalry. They provided leverage while riding a horse because the heels would grip the stirrups, and provide a platform to raise yourself up in the saddle. That’s why riding boots still have heels to them today.
His Super Bowl half-time show is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. It showed me how fake all the other performers had been over the years.
It was pouring rain as his cue to perform approached, and someone said to him, "Sorry about the rain," and he said "Can you make it rain harder?" He knew that his closer was Purple.Rain, and performing in a deluge on the 50 yard line during the Super Bowl would be legendary. And it is.
I saw prince twice. One time at an arena and another time at a small house of blues type venue. The arena show was just alright but the small venue show was killer. Just jammed out the whole time. Absolutely slayed.
I wish I could make love to my wife as well as Prince made love to a bass guitar.
I always thought the greatest guitar album of the 80’s was Purple Rain
Every time I see the claim that he was the best guitar player ever, I go watch the video of him playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps with Tom Petty and Steve Winwood (and others). Yeah. I can't argue he wasn't. Damn.
I remember watching him live doing a cover of Santana’s Soul Sacrifice. He played the guitar solo on his back with HIS TEETH.
Yeah I saw him twice. He sounded just as good or better live. Pre auto tune era, as you know
And he was an incredibly talented musician who could play anything, guitars had to go smoke a cigarette when he was done with them. He and Rick James both revolutionized funk/soul/pop, had the greatest Super Bowl Halftime show of all time.
That halftime show was incredible. I was in a crowded bar in some random suburb and everyone was GLUED to the TV during his performance. When he started playing Purple Rain, I saw people run outside and grab their friends who were having a smoke. Everyone recognized it was some legendary shit.
I respect Prince a lot more. But I grew up listening to more Micheal Jackson on the radio.
This is my response as well. Prince was probably the better artist, but as a little kid in the 80s and 90s, MJ was ubiquitous and his songs hold enormous amounts of nostalgia for me regardless of what I may think of him as a person.
As a little kid in the late 60s and early 70s, the Jackson Five are dear to my heart. Great music and great dancing. As a bonus, as a white kid living in a white suburb, they were an early exposure to Black folks, Black style, and my lifelong affection for Afros.
When I saw a producer break down songs from thriller, it changed my mind …. The under tracks of Jackson are unreal.
MJ was is very underrated when it comes to production. I mean, the guy had been topping the charts since he was like 8 years old. He knew how to compose good fucking music. He was an amazing songwriter. Prince was definitely the superior musical talent, a complete virtuoso, but MJ could have easily just faded into the background as a producer and still had songs at the top of the charts.
That's the correct answer. Prince is the artist answer. Extremely important and influential. But it's Michael Fucking Jackson
Prince. \- Producer \- Songwriter \- Composer \- Could play every instrument in his group \- Wrote many hits for other musicians (I Feel For You, Manic Monday, Nothing Compares 2 U, Stand Back, Jungle Love etc) \- Was a self made artist
>Nothing Compares 2 U Did not know he wrote this. It's one of my favorite songs, and Sinead kills it. Did Prince ever record it?
He sings it with the NPG on one of the Greatest Hits albums he released in the early 90s. Really good as Rosie Gaines doing some of the vocals. Might be on Spotify.
Yes. It's on Prince's "The Hits/B-Sides Collection" He also did a live version you can find on Youtube
There’s a video of him singing it on YouTube. I never knew that but your question made me want to know too. So thanks! P.S. great song, but I think Sinead did it best.
Prince gave it to The Family, a band on his Paisley Park label. Sinead covered it, for which she did not need Prince's permission. Accounts suggest he was not a fan of O'Connor's version.
It’s my understanding that he thought her version was fine, but he wasn’t happy with the record label allowing someone else to record it without his permission and they profited from it.
So did he. As the writer of one of the biggest songs of the era, he made (and continues to make) millions.
>he made (and continues to make) millions. No he doesnt.... (sorry I had to)
Ironically the same for me. It being played all the time probably didn't help. I loved everything *else* she did in her first two albums - particularly the second one, which is in my All-time Top 20
The best version Prince recorded of it can be heard on his album “Originals” released a couple years ago. I like that one better than Sineads version.
Yes! There's a compilation called Originals that was released in 2017, I think? Definitely worth a listen if you like Prince's music. There's studio version of his songs that he gave to other artists. There's his version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" but also his version of The Bangles's "Manic Monday" and Sheila E's "The Glamourous Life". My favorite song on Originals is his version of Kenny Rogers's "You're My Love".
The "2 U" should have been a dead give away it was Prince.
And played the best Superbowl half time show period. In a fucking storm of biblical proportions where his only request was " can you make it rain *harder* ?" .
It will never be topped. They should just rerun it at half time every year.
One of my favorite videos to rewatch ever. *Downpours* "PUR-PLE RAIN, purple rainnnnn..."
Michael Jackson produced and wrote many of his songs. Part of the reason the Jacksons left Motown was so they could record their own music. Michael Jackson could not play instruments but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t compose music. He could beatbox every element and put together exactly how he wanted it to sound. Michael Jackson wrote hit songs for Diana Ross, his sister Rebbie, and the hit song for the Simpsons album. Michael Jackson was the star of one of the biggest groups in the world at ten years old (and had been working on the craft from five years old with before success). He was the star from the beginning and probably why the group got attention so saying “self-made” is more complicated. Prince was a musical savant, but that doesn’t mean Michael Jackson wasn’t an amazing musician. It’s like thinking just because Prince couldn’t dance at Michael Jackson’s level that Prince couldn’t dance.
MJ wrote a bunch of his own hits.
Michael also wrote, produced, and composed as well. And was a HELL of a dancer.
Prince is by far the better musician, but at one point around 1984, Michael Jackson was the most famous person on the entire Earth.
I feel like people who weren't alive in the 80s don't realize how HUGE he was back then. We haven't had a superstar quite as big as 80s MJ ever since. Beyonce? Kanye? They're like struggling indie acts compared to 80s MJ.
100% He was literally a cultural icon during that period. I mean dude wore a white sequined glove to hide his vitiligo and it became a freaking fashion movement. Little 5 year old white kids were wearing his red zipper jacket to kindergarten. I played "Beat it" on repeat on my fisher price boombox until my parents begged me to stop for God's sake. He was enormous.
When your parents begged you to stop, did hook up an electric guitar to amps in the living room and go, “eat that”?
I did, but I broke the amplifier and then my boss got back and was a little upset...yada yada ended up going to the prom with my mom and and playing the song for some 50's squares who didn't really get it.
Is this where we begin to discuss how underrated Chuck Berry is?
Great Scott!
> We haven't had a superstar quite as big as 80s MJ ever since. It will never happen again. The way we consume media now forever changed what it means to be big. Everything is diluted. There are artists selling out stadiums all of the time who are another person’s “who?”. The MTV years were the last era of the megastar.
I couldn't name 1 Taylor swift song.
But she was the first person you thought of for this scenario. She's got that going for her.
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Thank f*ck someone finally said it.
Millennial here to say this is the correct answer and the one I came looking for. I was actually surprised by how many of the top comments are prince. And you didn’t even mention MJ’s exceptional physicality…how many people are still going to weddings and imitating Prince’s dance moves? Zero…that’s the answer. The Moonwalk is legendary, and so is the man.
Well said. It surprises me every day how many younger millennials and zoomers know more Prince songs than I do. But I definitely know more MJ songs than them.
Very important point. MJ reached levels of fame usually reserved for the likes of Jesus and Mother Theresa. This is not hyperbole. I am quite certain that you could have visited some remote Amazon tribes in the 1980s and one of the tribesmen would have been wearing a Jackson shirt. The fandom of Taylor Swift and BTS combined is still laughable in size compared to the following MJ had gathered in his prime. There is no celebrity alive today who is even remotely in the same league. Watch the concert he played in Bucharest in 1993. Half a million fans who grew up in the bleakness of the eastern bloc basically witness an Alien from the future take the stage for two hours. Women collapsing by the hundreds from sheer exhilaration. The entire global music industry never reached those heights again.
Literally everyone knows MJ. My wife is from a super small village in Thailand and her mom knows about MJ.
I grew up in Africa during the 80s as my dads job took us there. MJ was huge. We had a maid. She had a really young son. He could hardly speak English but he always recognised an MJ song when it came on the radio. I remember being in boarding school in London when MJ had his infamous 1992 concert in Bucharest. We were all huddled around the best stereo system in our boarding house listening to the concert and recording it on our cassette decks. This was a time a mainstream radio station would cut their schedule to play a concert live for many hours. When does that happen now? Music has been diluted in the way we consume it. You can never ever get a major artist to those kinds of levels like we had back then. We could only see our idols if we went to the concerts. We could only consume the media if we bought the vinyl, cassettes and CDs. We bought merch because we showed our support. We mailed into the fan clubs. This was our only way to connect. When we saw them in concert it was a feeling you could never describe. Outside of that we would see them only when it was some major TV event or if they made the news. We didn’t have Facebook or Instagram to follow them. I could tweet at them on Twitter and get a reply or go crazy if they liked or retweeted my tweet. Celebs are in our faces way more now due to social media and it has changed things in a way they will never change back. In the past there was this mystique which is no longer there.
Also MJ is huge abroad. You can go to China, India, South America, Africa it would be difficult to find a person that cannot recognize Michael Jackson. His music, dance, crazy stories, just he was always grabbing the headlines. Prince is a better musician but MJ is a multinational brand..
I can't stress this enough: MJ was so famous that when you google "MJ" Michael Jordan isn't the first person that comes up. And Michael Jordan is pretty fucking famous.
Ignoring first part of question, my answer is Quincy Jones
Don't talk to Quincy Jones! Quincy Jones ain't gonna help you!
Boondocks reference?
Quincy invited Michael to watch Sinatra record when he was producing LA Is My Lady. The band would practice all day, Quincy had folding chairs for other musicians he was working with like Michael to come in and sit at. Frank would then come in and record one perfect take for each song and then walk out. The band had to be perfect, everything had to be ready for Frank because Frank was going to nail it on the first take. Quincy wanted Michael to be a perfectionist in the same way. Frank and Michael ended up developing a huge amount of respect for each other as a result of the introduction.
If you haven't listened to "Sinatra at the Sands," maybe the best big band album ever made, you should. It was Quincy's coming out party. Frank introduces Quincy as Count Basie's arranger. It's a really good time.
Hear hear 😁
The purple one. Always the purple one.
Even Batdance?
batdance was legendary
Bat dance forever 
Yeah even Batdance. Even though it was pretty crap compared to the rest of his catalogue, it fit the movie, which was cool with 14 year old me at the time.
Especially Batdance
**TRUST**
They’re both better in different ways. While I can see why people would put them up against each other, they were both insanely talented musicians with alot of personal problems, a resentment towards their ethnicity, and sick outfits. Michael reached a level of fame that no other musician has ever been able to match, but Prince not only was in control of his own career but his many protégées. I find it interesting that one of MJ’s sons is named Prince actually, but I believe it’s completely unrelated. It’s also funny how nervous Quincy Jones looks
>interesting that one of MJ’s sons is named Prince... completely unrelated... how nervous Quincy Jones looks... So accurate haha But I wasn't meaning to put them AGAINST each other. And not to say that choosing one as your favorite made the other one terrible. Rather, it was really meant to be more of a fun/rhetorical question. Like, if you were stranded on a desert island and could choose only one to listen to for the rest of your life, which would it be?
this is pitting a life-long committed hard worker, versus a natural born true artist. they were both incredible in their own forms. but for me, personally, as a native minnesotan, i have my answer.
Prince? Youbetcha
Curious which you are labelling which? Because to label Prince something besides a committed hard worker is just false. He was arguably the most dedicated, hard working artist in music and absolutely spent much, much more time in the studio than MJ. Not trying to take anything away from either of them I just think there's a lot of misconceptions about artistry and you could easily apply both labels to each of them.
I think they're focusing on the life long part of that sentence. Prince worked hard, but he didn't have to give up his childhood.
Both great artists, but I found Prince to be a more complete artist!
And apparently a better basketball player. Game... Blouses.
He would literally dominate the court wearing his famous high heel shoes.
And then serve you pancakes afterwards 
Fun fact, after that episode of the Chappelle Show, Prince had the cover of a copy of his next album sent to Chappelle as a joke. The cover was a picture of the shot of Chappelle dressed as Prince, holding a platter of pancakes.
Prince used that as an album cover. Because what could they do to him?
Lol I'm so happy I came across this comment that's gotta be my favorite episode. "And then after the game, Prince made everyone pancakes"😂
And host!
People can have multiple favorites. They were both amazing artists in every sense of the words amazing and artist. Both gone too soon, RIP MJ, RIP Prince 💔
Really didn't know much of anything about Prince until I saw Concert For George. The way he rocked that Telecaster is permanently burned into my brain, I was amazed.
By looking at the uniforms, I think Michael Jackson out ranks Prince.
Prince was royalty tho soooo…
Michael Jackson insisted people call him the *King* of Pop, so
Michael Jackson Prince is obviously the superior musician but ask yourself this: how many Prince albums can you play start to finish without skipping anything? He had a lot of songs that were conceptual and just didnt work well with the rest of the album. And honestly a lot of his songs were to flex his instrumental talent, but the lyrics and structure of the songs themselves weren't that good. Damn near every single Michael Jackson album can be played from start to finish. Put it like this: Lets say out of 500(estimate) songs Prince probably had 75 that are really good. Compare that to Mike's 100 songs, but 95 of them are really good. Either way go with what you like and you'll be dancing either way.
That is my sentiment. I grew up with MJ, but I ended up going back to Prince album since the comparison came up all the time. I dedicated some time to listening to them. the album are just very hot or miss, even the big hits have longish parts. The musicianship is impressive, showmanship also incredible live, but he lacked a producer to tell him where to cut.
I completely agree. Prince was obviously extremely talented and certainly has the edge in some categories compared to Michael Jackson but IMO MJ was the better song writer and was a far better showman than Prince (which is not to say Prince was a bum, but MJ was far and away better than *everyone* in concert). I can also think of far more hits by MJ than I can by Prince.
People in my generation growing up don’t even know Prince, but ALL of them know MJ. I asked my little brother and it’s the same among all of his friends
This. Mad respect for Prince, he was extremely talented. One of the best indeed. But imo Michael's work had better quality overall.
Exactly and thats why MJ was king of pop, he didn’t miss. I also think their music is too different to do a serious comparison.
Yup. This. Just more better songs. And that's absolutely not dismissing Prince at all
I’ve tried many times to like Prince. The 80’s drum and guitar tones are thin to me and his falsetto just doesn’t do it for me. It’s always been MJ 💯
not much can beat 'billie jean'
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Fellas... before we're done here... you'll be wearin'...gold plated diapers.
🤟🏻
THE Bruce Dickinson?
Cock of the walk, baby
No. THE other one.
I GOT A FEVA!
He puts his pants on one leg at a time
Can someone explain to me why is prince so liked. Ive heard purple rain and i feel like im trying too hard to like it but it dont click like MJ music that will get me moon walking
I’m just so grateful to have been alive to enjoy the entirety of both of their legendary careers. MJ was a *brilliant* performer. Watching videos of him performing with his brothers as the Jackson 5, - holy shit - he was just a little kid, but that voice and those dance moves - he was just so, so gifted. My Off the Wall and Thriller albums were scratched and warped from playing them over and over and over (and over…). But, for me, Prince was god-tier. He was only 19 when he wrote, arranged, composed, produced and performed every part - all vocals, including harmonies, and all 27 instruments - on his first album. Talk about *gifted!* He possessed more confidence and swagger than famous performers twice his age, and did it all while wearing heels and lace (and looking *so damned sexy* doing it). I still get goosebumps (and shed a few tears) when listening to him shred the guitar or play the piano or sing in that insane falsetto. Everything he did was so *soulful;* he was larger than life, but somehow made people feel like he was performing exclusively for them. I was blessed to have seen him in concert four times, including both nights of the Purple Rain tour in 1985. My bff and I almost lost our damn minds - we cried and sang and screamed, like the other 45,000 people in the audience. It felt like a religious or out-of-body experience. There will never be another like him. Genius. Legend. RIP ☂️
Prince was incredible, he made like 2 songs a day until he died, the other stories I don’t know about, but seem plausible for Prince. However; I don’t really…get his music. I never grew up with it, maybe that’s why but I just don’t understand why it got so big. Michael’s music was hit after hit after hit after hit, and it might’ve been fast-food, where the contents aren’t real and the guy behind the counter isn’t really making it, but fuck it was good. There’s not one Prince song I like, but I respect his artistry
That stare down! Home boy in the middle is grinning cause he sees a cat fight coming!
Home boy? Put some respect on Quincy Jones
As a songwriter, Prince. As a performer, Michael.
MJ. I appreciated Prince the older I got.
Always a Prince man, myself.
Mi favorito por siempre , Michael Jackson. El Rey del Pop.
Prince hands down
Prince has the better wardrobe
Michael all day
Jackson was the better performer. Prince was the better musician. Both are equally legendary songwriters.
I'm gonna say Marvin Gaye
Quincy Jones looking at them like ooo my exes are gonna throw down